Asom Govt apologise for Guwahati flood

Guwahati, June 19 (UNI) The Assom Government today apologised for yesterday's flash flood that crippled the capital city the whole afternoon, but added unless civic sense improved Guwahati could not be saved.

Addressing a news conference here today, the Guwahati Development Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma said, ''We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to the general public by the flash flood that wrought havoc in the transportation system of the city.'' Yesterday's 19 mm rainfall during noon flooded half of Guwahati city, crippling the entire communication network. The traffic congestation eased, while water level reduced in many parts of the city towards late evening.

''This flood was basically due to siltation. Unless we can stop siltation, there is no technology in the world which can save Guwahati. We are building drains, spending crores of rupees but everything is nullified in every monsoon because of siltation,'' he said.

He appealed to the people and specially those who were opposing the Draft master plan of the Guwahati city, to remove the hurdles and start implementing the plan.

''Unless surrounding hills are stablised and wetlands are preserved, no amount of drainage will be successful. Every monsoon, it has been proved. Guwahati has 1812 kilometere of drains, one of the longest in the country, but yet the city is waterlogged after a shower of heavy rain'' he said.

The Draft master plan has been opposed by a miniscule population who have been settling in the hills.

''We shall not disturb those who have settled there. We are only stopping any fresh construction in the hills. The silts are coming from the hills and blocking every drain making it impossible to save Guwahati'' he said.

As a short term measures, the city has banned use of plastics bags from tomorrow, besides a contingency traffic management plan so in order to regulate the traffic FM channels.

Appealing the residents as well as All Assam Students Union (AASU) to build a public mood for civic sense to save Guwahati, he said, ''Without civic sense, Guwahati can not be saved.'' Meanwhile, life is slowly returning to normalcy as the owners of the stranded cars were seen collecting vehicles from the road. The municipal authorities have started a desilting drive in the major drains of the city.

UNI